BJP slams Congress leader for calling Sikkim ‘neighbour nation’
The Statesman | 4 July 2025
A remark made by Congress national spokesperson Ajoy Kumar during a press conference at the AICC headquarters has sparked sharp political backlash, particularly from the BJP. While Kumar may have intended to speak about India’s deteriorating relations with neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bangladesh, his reference to Sikkim as a “neighbouring country” has drawn strong criticism.
The slip, which came from a seasoned former IPS officer and Member of Parliament, has not gone unnoticed. BJP MP and national spokesperson Raju Bista came down heavily on Kumar, calling the comment a “grave insult” to the people of Sikkim, who are celebrating 50 years of statehood.
“Such irresponsible statements are not just slips of the tongue,” Bista said in a press release, “but reflect a deeper, more disturbing pattern within the Congress party that often questions the integrity of India’s territorial unity.”
He added: “Calling Sikkim a ‘foreign country’ is either an act of shocking ignorance or a deliberate provocation. Given Mr Kumar’s long administrative experience, one cannot dismiss this lightly.”
Bista further questioned whether such statements were politically motivated or part of a larger agenda. “Is this part of the MoU signed between the Congress and the Communist Party of China?” he asked, urging all Indians to condemn such divisive narratives.
While Kumar has not yet issued a clarification, the controversy is likely to intensify political exchanges in the coming days.